Andrea’s Top 5 Movies of 2014
2014 was a big year for Hollywood, but the real gems were small independent features that no one expected to make an impact. Movies like Snowpiercer (if you haven’t seen it, you should) got a lot of buzz while The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies failed to impress audiences. I’ve saved you the trouble of sifting through a year’s worth of the unoriginal nonsense and picked out my top five movies of the year for your enjoyment. Chances are you’ve seen some of them, if not, grab the popcorn and enjoy!
As much as I love movies based on comics, let’s face the facts, they’re entertaining but not usually cinematic marvels (see what I did there?) This year Marvel Studios released Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, two movies based on comics that made me think of the genre in very different ways. Guardians of the Galaxy was a movie with nothing to lose. It dove into an obscure corner of the Marvel U and starred a team of little-known heroes without ever pandering to the audience. Director James Gunn fearlessly included the more bizarre parts of the Marvel cosmic universe and all kinds of technobabble but still managed to thrill hard core Guardians fans and newcomers to the franchise as well. On the other side of the spectrum, Captain America: The Winter Soldier balanced the comic book universe with all the elements of a modern spy-thriller. The story was politically driven and at times I forgot that I was watching a Captain America movie. Marvel has learned the secret to making movies out of their properties and I will be paying close attention to their 2015 releases.
This independent science fiction film directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Scarlet Johannson was largely overlooked and very polarizing. It was a disturbing look at how humanity might be viewed by a visitor to our home planet. Anyone who did hear about Under the Skin undoubtedly knew it as the movie in which Scarlett Johannson gets naked; while this is an accurate statement, it is also a very short sided look at the movie. Johannson’s role requires her body to become a commodity, she deals in sexuality and a cat and mouse game of manipulation. All of this sends her on a profound journey of self-discovery and forces the audience to consider what the value of her sexuality truly is. Critics may have been torn in their assessment of this film, but I found it thought provoking, mesmerizing and disturbing in the best possible way.
Anyone who keeps an eye on my Twitter feed knows that I have a masochistic need to watch horror movies despite being a giant chicken; every moment of tension fills me with dread as I wait for the inevitable scares. With this in mind, I found myself compelled to place The Babadook in my top five films for the year. It is exceptionally rare for me to find the courage to face a horror film on the big screen, let alone one with The Babadook’s reputation, but when the Toronto After Dark festival added a second screening because of the film’s popularity, I couldn’t resist. The movie was beautifully made and mesmerizing with a strong message embedded in all of the terror. Yes I jumped, gasped, and covered my eyes, but I also considered the protagonist Amelia and how she was forced to literally battle her demons. It is rare that a horror movie leaves me with anything more to contemplate than the special effects, but The Babadook was more than just a horror movie, it was an exercise in spectacular film making. (You can read my full review here)
- Interstellar
I’ve said it before, but it warrants repeating; good science fiction holds a mirror to reality and poses thought provoking questions about the state our world is in. That is just what Christopher Nolan achieved with Interstellar. The movie is a strong commentary on human society, our values, and our politics, all while telling the story of one man who makes extraordinary sacrifices in order to save his family. The film balanced humour and deep emotions with action and drama in a way that captivatingly drove the narrative forward despite its almost three-hour running time. Nolan was clearly inspired by Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar is a beautiful homage to the work of the late filmmaker and the story that depends so much on science and technology is decidedly and beautifully human.
- The Imitation Game
Alan Turing lived a fascinating life, one that has largely been kept from public knowledge until recently; The Imitation Game paints a portrait of him as the significant historical figure he is. What makes the film successful is that it is a human portrait that does not fall prey to Hollywood glamourizing. Certainly the Turing depicted is likely not accurate to the man who worked at Bletchley Park, but Benedict Cumberbatch portrays him as very human. He has flaws and makes mistakes, he is socially awkward and narcissistic; these traits do not a hero make. And yet, at the end of the movie it is nearly impossible not to fall in love with Cumberbatch’s rendition of Turing; you celebrate his successes and feel the desperation in his struggles. The Imitation Game is a story about one man’s vision and his unwavering faith in it. It is entirely fascinating and inspiring making it far and away my choice as the top movie of 2014.
